I hope all of you are having a wonderful Valentines Day. It’s been a long day, as I had meetings all week at work, with little time to eat lunch, much less enjoy the festivities. The Hubs, however, made up for the stress at work by sending me a beautiful bouquet of roses and a box of chocolates.

I got a good one, y’all!

After work, we went to this fancy restaurant called Chez McDonalds and ate some Royale with Cheese. Ever been there? It’s all the rage in Europe.

Honestly, it was the best Valentines Day just eating take out in the parking lot of McDonalds and chatting about our day. I couldn’t ask for anything more.

Whether you spent your day with a loved one or chilling solo with a pizza and Netflix, let me leave you with some Valentines funnies.

I was in Sephora yesterday and happen to catch a glimpse of the new Becca Ocean Jewels palette. It’s gorgeous and soft just like I imagined. I then sashayed on over to the Make Up For Ever display and caught a glimpse of the new Star Lit palette and was hit by an immediate case of deja vu, except that it really wasn’t deja vu, but literally the same colors in different palettes.

I’m telling you right now, you don’t need both. Just pick one and you are good. In fact, I will outline the deciding factors:

We all know that it’s that fresh looking purple shade that is calling your attention on both palettes. If you like your purple cool and shimmery, then opt for the Becca palette. That is a nice true bright violet. If you are wanting a duo chrome, shimmery purple with a black undertone, then go for the Make Up For Ever palette as that one is definitely darker.

If price is the deciding factor, then know that Becca’s Ocean Jewels is $35 and Make Up For Ever is charging $45.

If presentation is your thing, I like the Becca palette more. It’s nice and weighty and it has a really nice, BIG mirror. Seriously, you can see your entire face in it. The Make Up For Ever palette is cardboard and has a nice mirror, but you can’t see your entire face in one go.

I hope this helps and let me know if you plan to pick up any of these.

The other day I was watching a random YouTube video about the worst products of all time and the young lady mentioned that on top of everyone’s list is the Anastasia Beverly Hills Aurora Glow Kit.

Ummm…WHAT?

Ok, so I know that it’s not the most visually pleasing highlighter palette out there. It’s got this funky gray/purple blob on one end, a bright icy blue and then a lime green iridescent shade that really doesn’t look like it should be anywhere near your cheekbones. However, that’s the problem. I don’t really see this palette as a highlighter palette, but as a color palette. Something that you can use anywhere: cheekbones, eyes, on top of blush or lipstick. You are only really limited by your imagination.

For example, I am totally not a blue anything kind of girl. My color preferences are definitely more of the natural variety, however, I have used this palette in the following way:

Eclipse (soft peach) and Luna (icy white) as straight up highlighters

Spectra (purple) as eyeshadow, inner corner and lipstick toppers

Helia (lime green) as inner corner and eyeshadow

Orion (blue) eyeshadow, inner corner, lipstick topper

Lyra (warm peach) eyeshadow, blush topper, lipstick topper

Also, all these colors are super soft, without feeling too powdery and apply beautifully with a brush or your fingers. In fact, if using any of them as lid shadows,they go on best with a just tap of your fingers. I don’t suggest blending them at all or too much.

If you want to turn a basic smoky eye into something really glamorous and almost intergalactic, then tap Spectra, Helia or Orion on top of a matte black on the eyes. It’s absolutely GORGEOUS. I do suggest using an eye primer before applying these colors as eyeshadows as I do feel that they don’t have a lot of staying power. I would also make sure to spritz some setting spray as well for good measure.

Anyone have any LOVES that everyone else hates? If so, let me know. I love being a non-conformist and hope to find more people like me that go against popular opinions.

You know when you are a makeup lover when you go to Walgreens with a 101 degree fever to buy some Nyquil and stop by the beauty aisle just to see if there is anything new worth buying.

Well, if you happen to have been at the Walgreens in Hialeah, FL about 2 weeks ago and saw some crazy looking woman in leggings, a Wonder Woman t-shirt 2 sizes too big and some orange flip flops carrying Halls Cough Drops, Nyquil, Gatorade and some Covergirl products then you met Yours Truly at her finest.

I like to make an impression everywhere I go.

If I am going to be honest, I didn’t go very deep into the beauty department. I just kind of wandered a bit through the front displays and got distracted by Covergirl’s latest updates to their Vitalist line. As a HUGE fan of their Vitalist Healthy Elixir foundation (it’s really the only one I use), I was so excited to see that they brought out pressed powder, concealer, lip oils, highlighters (but they look more like paint pots) and even repackaged their foundation to make it all look cohesive.

I immediately grabbed the powder and concealer, but opted to leave the other products behind as they only had a clear gloss and the only highlighter/paint pot shade available in my store was in a coppery color, which are about a dime a dozen in my collection. Besides, in the state I was in, I was probably eyeballing products that will cover up my zombie like facade and not really looking to add shine to my cheekbones or anything.

Just saying.

It wasn’t until a few days later that I did end up using the products and let’s start with the winner of the two: The Powder. It’s really light and creamy to the touch and even though it comes with a sponge applicator, I find that using a fluffy powder brush works so much better. I lightly use it to set my under eye concealer (more on that later) as well as my foundation around my T-zone and it literally made everything look so velvety and smooth. I could honestly say that after wearing my makeup for a full 8+ hours, there was minimal shine on my forehead and chin and my undereyes looked FREAKING awesome. I did have to touch up my nose area at one point during the day, but I am not going to deduct major points for that because that is my problem area.

Powder: A (solid)

OK, so The Concealer. The minute I pulled the top off and saw that it was one of those brush applicators where you have to twist the product and then it spills out, I knew this was immediately going to get at most a B grade. I HATE those applicators. I hate how much time I waste twisting the end cap to get the product out and then it just all gloops out and you have to keep on twisting to get more product out and it just never seems to be enough. There should be a law that states that concealers should always come in packaging with a wand applicator that you just dip in and out. It just makes life so much easier.

With that being said, I didn’t think the formula was any better or redeemable. It was thin and because the applicator sucks, it just applied streaky and patchy regardless of whether you used a sponge, brush or your finger to blend. Overall, it just requires too damn much product to cover any dark circles. Did I mention that this product cost $8.99 and you only get .01 ounces? I don’t know about you, but I’ve gotten free samples with more product than that and required WAY less effort to achieve the desired effect.

Concealer: C- (and I feel like I am being nice)

For the record, I’ve been using my Tarte Shape Tape with the Pressed Powder and it’s such a good combination.

Have any of you tried the other products from the Vitalist line. Any thoughts? Let’s get the party started and have a conversation in the comments section. I love hearing from you all.

Till next time, my friends!

Maritza

***Links in this post are affiliated and I do receive a small commission if you decide to purchase products directly from Amazon.***

This weekend, as I was scrolling through my Instagram, I kept on seeing posts with the hashtag #friendswithbenefits. Apparently, Benefit Cosmetics has some new product out and decided to take a bunch of influencers to the desert in the hopes that we will begin to care about their products again.

Ouch….I’m feeling feisty today.

But seriously, I hate that. I mean, I really, really hate that. I hate Benefit for suggesting that we are all so gullible into thinking that throwing a bunch of our favorite gurus into the desert for an impromptu “Out of this World” photo shoot is going to make me want to buy their shitty new mascara. The same goes for all those beauty gurus who go on these expensive trips. How stupid do you think we are?

To be honest, I would have bought their mascara before I saw all this stupidity over my feed. I mean, I LOVE mascara. I can practically have philosophical discussions about mascara and which types of bristles are best for full or thin lashes and whether a curved wand will really help curl your lashes or not. So it’s not their mascara that turned me off, it’s the total waste of money that went into this trip.

I get that beauty trips are just part of their marketing campaigns, but come on! I would love to see a beauty brand use all that money they spent on wining and dining these gurus, and maybe donate it to help Hurricane victims. Yeah, last I checked, loads of people still don’t have a place to live in yet in Houston and the Florida Keys. Same goes for all those people who lost their homes during the Caifornia wildfires. Why not go to a hospital and do makeovers on cancer victims? I’m sure they would appreciate the pick me up.

Heck, if you really want to take these people on a getaway, why not bring them to Puerto Rico and donate some much needed feminine hygiene products, along with some feel good makeup, to all the woman in the island who STILL don’t have power and are still pulling their drinking water from the rivers. I would love to see pictures of all these influencers putting their fame and power for the greater good of humanity.

And this is not to say that they have not already donated millions of dollars towards these causes and many other charities, but I want to see those posts pepper my Instagram every now and then rather than a random pic of XYZ guru enjoying her continental breakfast poolside in their private cabana. I mean, if they can possibly encourage just 1 fangirl into donating her time or the money she will spend on yet another mascara towards a good cause, wouldn’t that be worth it?

It’s just so damn excessive and I just don’t like it. I think it’s so much more genuine if they would showcase the damn mascara that they received via PR (which is fine!) on their channel, try it on, give me their first and final impressions. But why the hell are you posting a picture of your backside in a bikini?

WTF? Aren’t you there for mascara?? Why are you showing me your butt?

Trust me, I know it’s just make up. It’s not world peace I’m writing about myself, so I get how some might accuse me of being hypocritical, but I don’t make any money off this blog. My full time job is not taking selfies and writing my thoughts on the latest Too Faced palette. I do this because I love makeup and writing provides me a creative outlet. I’m not saying these gurus don’t feel the same way, but I have about .0006% of followers compared to all those gurus who went on this Benefit trip, so when you have that kind of influence, why not use it to make a small difference in the world?

Anyways, like I said. I was feeling a little feisty today, so please excuse the rant.

I have not always been a big of fan of Almay. They were literally the most forgettable brand in the drugstore aisle. Usually tucked all the way in the back of the makeup department and consisting of a few shelves of beige looking foundations, they were easy to miss. However, as it happens, I am a big fan of their Brow Pencil, having once gotten a buy one get one free coupon and not really impressed by anything on their shelves at the time, settled on this pencil with a sigh. It sat in my makeup cart for months until I ran out of my Anastasia Dip Brow and in a moment of desperation reached for the pencil and was like “Ok. I see you, Almay.”

Well, long story short, I got to the itty bitty end of my brow pencil and hopped on over to Amazon to order a new one and saw these cute, little jewel-like eyeshadow quads and decided on a whim to purchase them. They seemed to have a variety of colors, and even though the bright teal one looked really promising, it was out of stock, so I settled on the purple, bronze and champagne quads.

The Shadow Squads are supposed to offer you a monochromatic look, which I hear is supposed to be all the rage these days, but honestly, I’m sure that you can definitely buy a few and create a unique colorful look for $6.99 a quad on Amazon. I think that’s a good price for what you are getting because, folks, these shadows are really nice!

Molded into a lego block, each little square has it’s own shade tone and texture. So you have a matte, satin, shimmer and glitter all within the same color scheme that will help you create a multidimensional monochromatic look. The shades are creamy to the touch and I found no problems with blending them into my crease and lids. In fact, I loved the look!

My favorite out of the three I purchased is the purple quad called Making a Statement. In less than five minutes, I created a simple look using just this one tiny palette and every time I peeked into the rearview mirror on my way to work, I was mentally giving myself a wink and thumbs up. I simply blended the satin color (lower right) on the crease. Darkened up the outer V and lower lash line with dark matte (upper left). Dabbed some of the shimmer (lower left) all over lid and then a bit of the glitter shade (upper right) in the center. I then broke into the pinky champagne quad called Never Settle, and used a bit of the shimmer shade (lower left) on the inner corner. Done!

Never Settle

Unapologetic

The quads are also super slim and light. If you happen to travel a lot, you can easily throw a few different colors in you makeup bag and save, not only a ton of space, but also lighten the load from carrying a bulky palette. Also, the quad has a magnetic closure, which I don’t know about you, but that pleases me immensely. I hate those plastic cases that you have to use your nails to pry open and, to be honest, sometimes it’s the little things that impress me the most.

If I have one negative thing to say about these cute little quads is that I wish Almay included a few more pops of colors. I love the purple and teal, but the rest of the colors in the collection are definitely more subdued and I would have loved to have seen a bright pink or maybe a green, but, baby steps! Maybe they will release some more colors for summer.

What do you guys think of Almay’s re-entrance into the makeup world? I’ve been following their Instagram lately and I see a lot of promise there, so I am excited to see what they have to offer.

Till next time, my friends!

Maritza

***Links in this post are affiliated and I do receive a small commission if you decide to purchase products directly from Amazon.***

My post man is the nicest gentleman ever and every time he has a package too big to fit in the mailbox he always makes sure to knock on the door and personally hand it to me or if I am not home, always tries to hide it carefully under the welcome mat or between my door and the gate so no one can steal it. If I am home, he always chats and asks about the kids and dog and I always spend a few minutes talking with him. However, the other day, I saw he had a Rocksbox envelope in his hands and I feel like it took FOREVER to get rid of him so that I can tear into that package.

I’m such a snot!

Anyways, I got my goodies, which for the record, were all from my Wishlist again and I have one definitive winner and two so-so’s to share with you. But that’s ok, because if you subscribe to Rocksbox you know that you can always return what you don’t like for new stuff or rent your set and then refresh it all for something new whenever you want.

Let’s start with the WINNER, which I will definitely be purchasing with my $21 credit. I got these GORGEOUS Slate Arya “Hoops” in Gold ($46). Not sure why they are classified as a hoop as they are clearly triangular-ish in shape, but let’s just go with it. They have this beautiful design with pave accents running down the center, that sometimes have me thinking Art Deco and other times give me total Rock n’ Roll vibes. I have been wearing them non-stop, which is usually a good indicator that I will not be parting with them.

I also received the Kendra Scott Beth Necklace in Rose Gold and Ivory Mother of Pearl ($70), which checks off all my current style preferences, but I had issues with the length. The chain is adjustable, which is a great concept as I could definitely see this necklace worn closer up between your collarbones or lower down your chest, possibly even layered, however, the adjustable clasp did not hold. I found the necklace moves around as you go about your day and while it may have started out as a choker at breakfast, somewhere around lunch time, the pendant was nestled between my boobs. Yeah. No.

Wearing Slate Arya Hoops and Ava Rose Chandler Ring

The last piece sent to me was the Ava Rose Chandler Ring in Gold and Labradorite ($51). I love the gold combined with this beautiful jade green stone, but I decided that I was just not that fond of the elongated shape of the stone. I definitely prefer something a little less chunky and will go back in to my Wishlist and adjust some of my ring preferences as it wasn’t until I wore this ring that I decided that I’m more of a simple band kind of girl.

So 1 out of 3 is pretty good, in my opinion.

Remember, if you want to try Rocksbox, feel free to use my referral code, MARITZABFF39 and you get your first box free. I will also get $25 for a future purchase, so it’s kind of a win/win.

Folks, this month has had it’s ups and downs, but one of the highlights was finally getting off the Boxycharm waitlist.

I swear, when I see myself typing stuff like that, I feel like I really need to get my priorities straight, but, WHATEVER! It’s the little things in life that get you going, right?

Anyways, I had always heard really great things about Boxycharm from my friend Elsie, however, never really joined as I already had so many boxes, that I felt like adding another one would be overkill. However, having recently decided to take a break from my Birchbox and Ipsy, I figured there was no better time than the present.

FUN FACT: Birchbox headquarters are located in Miami, FL. You all know I love supporting my Florida peeps.

I purposefully avoided reading up or seeing any of the January Boxycharm unboxings as I wanted to make my own opinions and, OH BOY, was I happy I did so because I am IN LOVE with basically everything I got. Seriously, I have loads of good things to say about everything and maybe just a few MEHs.

First off, let’s start off with what I loved the most, which was the Glam Metals eyeshadow palette by Crown Pro ($29.99). You all know that I am an eyes girl, and when I opened this palette and saw all these gorgeous rusty, copper and silver metallics, I was “Shot Through the Heart….”. The colors are all silky to the touch, very pigmented and I had zero problems blending any of them. I created a quick eye look (pic below) using The Wicked on the crease, Rebel on the lid and Black Metal on the outer V and lower lash. Finished it off with a little Pop Rock on the inner corner and I was channeling my inner Video Vixen big times.

Sticking to the eyes, the next product that I was totally digging was the It Cosmetics Brow Power in Universal Taupe ($24). Supposedly this color works on anybody and all you have to be is mindful about the pressure you are applying when doing your eyebrows as gentle strokes will work best for lighter hair colors and adding a bit more pressure will deepen the color for our darker hued guys and gals. The formula is a tad stiff when swatching it, but I suppose making it too creamy wouldn’t allow for it to be a universal shade, but don’t let that deter you as I found it super easy to use and I didn’t really have to think too hard on how much pressure I was applying to create a perfect brow.

Next on the list is another hometown favorite brand, Dr. Brandt. I LOVE Dr. Brandt products and I was so happy to get the Pores No More Luminizer Primer ($38) as I have been wanting to try it for so long, but we all know this stuff is a little pricey. On application, it looks a bit like foundation or a BB cream, but doesn’t have any coverage. It does, however, leave your skin glowy. It’s also supposed to minimize the look of pores, but I felt that the real draw was the luminizing effects. I applied this under my foundation and my skin looked healthy. Not shiny or greasy, which is always my concern with these types of primers. It also worked really well under my Covergirl Vitalist Foundation and never made it slip or breakdown. Winner!

The next two products didn’t make my Top 3, but that doesn’t mean I dislike them:

Grande Lip Hydrating Lip Plumper ($27) in Hot Fuschia is surprisingly hydrating, however, I really didn’t see my lips plump much. What I did like was the glossy wash of pink color I got from wearing it. Seriously, I looked like I made out with the Hubs and then applied lip gloss. The effect was super sexy!

Pur Cosmetics Cheek Palette in Dreamer ($34) is so pigmented that you have to go in with the lightest hand possible with all three shades in order not to look clownish. However, I used the bronzer, blush and highlighter in the look above and feel like I pulled it off well. I can totally also see this being used as eyeshadow. The blusher has a BEAUTIFUL coral pink shimmer that all over the lid would make blue or green eyes POP! No need to foil that’s for sure!

Since I purposefully avoided any Boxycharm reviews or unboxings, what did everyone else think of their box? Sound off on the comments below and let’s get the party started!

When I first heard that the Museum of Ice Cream was popping up in Miami Beach, I was like no way in HELL am I going to drop $40 to take a bunch of dumb pics in pink rooms surrounded by images of dairy products that I have a hard time digesting. But, of course, I am weak and succumbed to the Instagram pressure of all the pics of people taking a dip in the Sprinkle Pool and up against brightly colored walls.

SO WEAK!

However, as much as it pains me to admit this, I actually had fun! I still can’t tell whether I am basically paying for the use of a bunch of photo props and backgrounds or if it’s the curators way of strategically placing props so that you can create your own art, but either way, it was certainly interesting and, yes, I came home with a bunch of pics that will soon be showing up on the feeds of all my Instagram friends and followers.

For the record, all tickets for the Miami event are sold out, but if you want a quick peek into the “exhibits” take a look below. Also, make sure to sign up for their newsletter on their website as they will send you updates on future locations and extensions of the exhibit (if any) in Miami.

A couple of things to highlight:

Yes, I made sure that my makeup was on pointe and my hair was sleek and straight. Pictures don’t lie, ya’ll

I found this event to be perfect to take tweens and teens who are obsessed with selfies. My 8 year old son, not so much.

They do give you samples of ice cream and candies as you make your way through the exhibits, so prepare for a sugar rush.

In Miami, the exhibit is spread throughout 4 floors and the elevators were not operational, so you will be doing some cardio (to walk off the sugar).

The Sprinkle Pool is a timed exhibit, so you need to jump in and take those pics quick cause they will kick you out!

I hope you enjoy the pics. Some of these were taken by my daughter on her iPhone and mines were all taken on my Cannon, but honestly, I can’t tell the difference in quality.

I am such a Florida girl. I was reading a post from Makeup and Beauty Blog in which she was talking about the Antonym Cosmetics eye quad in Noisette and when she mentioned that Antonym is headquartered in Miami, I immediately clicked on over to their website to check them out and proceeded to drop a small fortune on their products.

I am 305 for LIFE, ya’ll!

In all honesty, it wasn’t just because I like to support my local Florida peeps, which I do, but I had been hearing a lot of chatter about Antonym for a while and figured it was time to see for myself if these products were really as good for the skin as they are for the environment. All Antonym products are cruelty free and made from Certified Organic and Natural Ingredients. Even their bamboo packaging is made from sustainable materials and also happens to looks super cool and earthy.

They don’t have a very large selection of items, but I feel that now that they are in Sephora, we might be seeing this line expand a bit. Quick Tip: if you shop directly from their website, you get 10% off your first order and you can also join their Rewards Program where you earn points towards future purchases for every item you buy, referrals and even your birthday.

Prices are mid to high ranging from $17 – $52, which puts it up there with the Becca’s and Hourglasses, but not quite Tom Ford or Dior. I think that’s a comfortable price for the product you are getting as I must say that I LOVED everything I bought.

I opted for Baked Foundation in Light ($38), Baked Blush in Peach ($38) and the Quattro Eyeshadow in To The Moon and Black ($39). If I had to choose one that I like the best, it would really be a toss up, but as a girl obsessed with eye palettes and mascara, it would have to be the eyeshadow quad.

I purposefully picked the smoky blue and grey set as I am trying to get out of my comfort zone of nudes and at first swatch, the navy blue, white and grey shimmers and matte black feel a little dry. However, these are the types of colors that blossom with the guidance of a brush. They are easy to blend and when combined, do not muddy at all.

For the look below, I used Blue Moon (navy) on the crease and blended it to the outer V. Then applied Slate (grey) all over the lid, going back to the Blue Moon to blend any lines. I then intensified the outer V a bit with Obsidian (black) and dragged that to the lower lash, where I smoked it out to almost the inner corner. Lastly, I dabbed Ice (white) on the center eyelid, inner corner and upper and bottom lid.

The Baked Blush in Peach is soft to the touch and provides just the right amount of color and glow to the cheeks. At first, I went in a little heavy handed thinking the color might not show up on my pale skin, but that was not necessary. A light layer is certainly enough and, I feel, complimented the smoky eye nicely.

To tone down the blush a bit, I went in with the Baked Foundation and a powder brush and it did the trick perfectly. The Baked Foundation can be coupled with a more denser brush and used as foundation, but to be honest, I like it best as a powder to set my liquid foundation. I don’t feel it provided the amount of coverage I was looking for with such a smoky look, however, on natural makeup days, it’s one of those products where you swirl, tap and buff into skin. Apply some Baked Blush and some mascara and you are all set to go.

Have any of you given Antonym a whirl? If so, let me know your thoughts. I personally loved it, but want to know if my LOVE for Miami is blinding me a bit.

Also, if you want to try out Antonym for the first time, feel free to use my referral link below. You get 20% off your order and I get 20% for a future order. Win/Win!